Non-slip floor surface for bathtubs and shower stalls



H. 'GRUEN Oct. 15, 1957 Filed April 22. 1954 NON-SLIP FLOOR SURFACE FOR BATHTUB S SHOWER STALLS INVENTOR fi 'A/FYWUEN 7 lllliililii L /5 JS-J BY f ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,809,380 NON-SLIP FLOOR SURFACE FOR BATHTUBS AND SHOWER STALLS Henry Gruen, Bronx, N. Y. Application April 22, 1954, Serial No. 424,905 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-173) This invention relates to bathtubs and shower stalls and more particularly to the floor surfaces thereof.

One object of the present invention is to construct the floors of bathtubs and shower stalls of a hard plastic material with an integral upper surface molded or formed to prevent slipping or skidding. A further object of the invention is to so construct the non-skid surface of the floor that complete drainage is provided and sharp recesses and crevices are completely avoided so that the cleaning of the floor is facilitated.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the floor surface with relatively sharp parallel closely spaced edges for engagement with the sole of the foot to prevent slipping, and still another object is to provide series or groups of such edges at substantially right angles to each other to guard against slipping in any direction.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and formation of the plastic bathtubs and stall floors as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of illustration or example, a plastic bathtub made in accordance with this invention and a base or floor for a shower stall or compartment.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bathtub showing the improved floor surface;

Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged detail cross-section showing the construction of a portion of a floor surface;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a floor or base for a shower stall; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of a portion of the floor of Fig. 3.

It is well known that the surface of the human foot, when placed upon a dry, perfectly smooth surface, may adhere thereto by suction, but when a film of liquid is interposed between the sole of the foot and the smooth surface, the suction is destroyed and the danger of slipping or skidding is always present, and this danger is very greatly increased when soapy water is involved.

Many attempts have been made to meet this danger by the use of rubber mats having non-skid surfaces, and attempts have also been made to provide a metal bathtub with an integral non-slip floor surface by providing ridges pressed or molded into the metal floor.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, the bathtub is molded from hard plastic material, preferably in one integral piece, and the floor has an outlet drain opening 11 near one end and has a fiat smooth surface 12 at the opposite end upon which the bather may sit. Extending between the flat surface 12 and the drain 11 are groups of closely disposed parallel channels or grooves 13 so arranged that the grooves of adjacent groups are disposed at approximately right angles to each other and so that they communicate with channels 14 which are suitably inclined and arranged to receive drainage from the grooves 13 and to conduct moisture to the drain outlet 11.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a base or floor suitable for a shower stall, the floor part 15 and an upstanding rim or edge 16 being in one integral piece of hard plastic material with groups of channels or grooves 17 arranged at right angles to each other and communicating with each other and also with diagonal channels 18 inclined so as to direct to a central drain outlet 19 moisture received from the ends of said grooves 17. In adjacent groups, the grooves are disposed at substantially right angles to each other so that slipping in any direction is prevented.

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Referring to the enlarged sectional view, Fig. 2, showing a portion of a group of parallel grooves 13 or 17, it will be seen that each groove is substantially semicircular in cross-section so as to avoid sharp crevices and to facilitate cleaning while the upper edges of the grooves meet the flat surface 20 of the floor with relatively sharp edges 21 and the grooves are so narrow that these edges 21 cause no discomfort to the sole of the foot but effectively prevent slipping in directions crosswise of, or at an angle to, the individual grooves.

As shown at Figs. 1 and 3, the groups of channels or grooves 13, 17 are so arranged that each group, having a width that is less than the width of the foot of the bather, is so located with respect to adjacent groups that the foot can never rest upon less than two groups, and slipping in 'any direction is thus eflfectively prevented.

As shown in Fig. 1, the longitudinal and cross-channels 14 are formed as continuations of the smooth inclined floor surface and the non-slip portions formed with the grooves 13 are raised above such surface, and Fig. 4 shows the grooves 17 located above the level of the floor surface which meets the upstanding rim or edge 16.

Although the drawings and the above specification disclose the best mode in which I have contemplated embodying my invention, I desire to be in no way limited to the details of such disclosure since, in the further practical application of my invention, changes in the form and arrangement may be made as circumstances require or experience suggests without departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A floor structure for a bathing surface of the character described formed of an integral plastic material and comprising a drain opening, a lower surface in the form of a narrow inclined channel extending from and draining directly into said opening, a substantial number of parallel elongated strips of floor surface extending outwardly from each side of the said channel and each of said strips having a group of parallel open-ended grooves formed above the level of the adjacent part of said channel, and said strips at each side of the channel being uniformly spaced and arranged in parallel relation to each other, and an approximately equal number of parallel strips similarly formed with open-ended parallel grooves and interposed between the first mentioned strips with all of the grooves thereof arranged at opposing angles to all of the grooves of the first mentioned strips at each side of the inclined channel, to form an integral raised slip-preventing floor in which the width of each of said elongated strips is less than the width of the foot of the bather, and in which each of the said grooves is semicircular in cross-section and is of uniform width and depth throughout its length.

2. A floor structure according to claim 1, in which the said inclined channel is located at the longitudinal center line of a bath tub and the said strips are disposed at right angles to the said channel.

3. A floor structure according to claim 1, in which the said drain opening is located at the center of the rec: tangular floor of a shower stall, and the said inclined channel extends diagonally outwards from the said opening and the said strips are each disposed at an angle of about 45 to the said diagonal channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 82,857 Steele Dec. 16, 1930 D. 85,859 Capouch Dec. 29, 1931 1,019,212 Yates Mar. 5, 1912 2,079,739 Houseweller May 11, 1937 2,084,852 Lochman June 22, 1937 2,464,645 Lassa Mar. 15, 1949 

